A badroom biww is de common name for wegiswation or a statute dat defines access to pubwic faciwities—specificawwy restrooms—by transgender individuaws. Badroom biwws affect access to sex-segregated pubwic faciwities for an individuaw based on a determination of deir sex as defined in some specific way—such as deir sex as assigned at birf, deir sex as wisted on deir birf certificate, or de sex dat corresponds to deir gender identity.[1] A badroom biww can eider be incwusive or excwusive of transgender individuaws, depending on de aforementioned definition of deir sex.

Critics of biwws which excwude transgender individuaws from restrooms which conform to deir gender identity argue dat dey do not make pubwic restrooms any safer for cisgender (non-transgender) peopwe, and dat dey make pubwic restrooms wess safe for bof transgender peopwe and gender non-conforming cisgender peopwe.[2][3][4] Additionawwy, critics cwaim dere have been no cases of a transgender person attacking a cisgender person in a pubwic restroom,[2] awdough dere has been at weast one isowated incident of voyeurism in a fitting room.[5] By comparison, a much warger percentage of transgender peopwe have been verbawwy, physicawwy, and sexuawwy harassed or attacked by cisgender peopwe in pubwic faciwities.[6] For dese reasons de controversy over transgender badroom access has been wabewed a moraw panic[7] and compared to de antisemiticbwood wibew.[8]

Proponents say such wegiswation is necessary to maintain privacy, protect what dey cwaim to be an innate sense of modesty hewd by most cisgender peopwe, prevent voyeurism, assauwt, mowestation, and rape,[9] and retain psychowogicaw comfort.[10][11]

Awso in 2016, guidance was issued by de U.S. Departments of Justice and Education stating dat schoows which receive federaw money must treat a student’s gender identity as deir sex (for exampwe, in regard to badrooms).[12] However, dis powicy was revoked in 2017.[12]

In Canada, de New Democratic Party (NDP) has introduced severaw biwws dat tried to incwude gender identity and gender expression among de characteristics protected from discrimination and ewigibwe to be considered in sentencing crimes motivated by hate.[13] These biwws were freqwentwy referred to as "badroom biwws" by deir critics as dey wouwd have awwowed transgender individuaws to use de pubwic faciwities corresponding to deir gender identity.

Biww C-279, introduced to de 41st Parwiament in 2011 by NDP MP Randaww Garrison, was passed and sent to de Senate in March 2013.[16] In 2015, Senator Don Pwett introduced dree amendments to de biww, one of which exempted pubwic washrooms and changerooms from de biww's protections.[17] The biww was awso uwtimatewy defeated in de Senate.

In a wandmark 2013 case, de Coworado Civiw Rights Division ruwed in favor of 6-year-owd transgender student Coy Madis to use de girws' badroom at her ewementary schoow. It was de first ruwing of its kind in de United States and one of de first high-profiwe transgender rights cases, garnering huge amounts of media attention, uh-hah-hah-hah.[22]

Pubwic opinion regarding transgender badroom rights in de U.S. is mixed. A Pew Research poww from October 2016 found dat about hawf of U.S. aduwts (51%) stated transgender individuaws shouwd be "awwowed to use pubwic restrooms dat correspond wif de gender dey currentwy identify wif", wif nearwy as many (46%) taking de opposite position—and say "transgender peopwe shouwd be reqwired to use badrooms dat match de gender dey were born into". Younger peopwe aged 18–29 were more wikewy to support transgender peopwe's right to use de badroom of de gender dey identify wif (67%).[27] A more recent YouGov poww from March 2017 found dat 40% of Americans supported "a waw dat wouwd reqwire transgender peopwe to use de badroom corresponding to de gender of deir birf" wif exactwy de same percentage (40%) opposing such a waw.[28]

A badroom biww was introduced in Awabama on February 7, 2017 by state Senator Phiw Wiwwiams.[29] The biww, if passed, wouwd reqwire attendants to be present in mixed-gender pubwic badrooms to ensure dat no crimes are committed dere.[30]

In September 2016, Cawifornia Governor Jerry Brown signed a badroom biww dat mandates singwe-occupancy pubwic badrooms be gender-neutraw in order to enabwe easier access for transgender peopwe. The waw went into effect on March 1, 2017.[33][34][35]

A badroom biww was introduced in Fworida in de spring of 2015 as HB583 by Representative Frank Artiwes.[36][37] Proponents cwaimed, in de wanguage of de biww, dat it was designed to prevent "assauwt, battery, mowestation, rape, voyeurism, and exhibitionism".[9] Opponents cwaimed dat de onwy purpose was to be "discriminatory", and dat it wouwd "criminawize [transgender peopwe] for simpwy going about deir daiwy wives".[38] The biww went drough two House committees, but did not pass.[39] There were no furder badroom biwws fiwed in de Fworida state wegiswature in 2015 or 2016, but organizations wike Eqwawity Fworida said in 2017 dat dey were preparing for de possibiwity of future biwws.[37]

On March 23, 2016, Norf Carowina Governor Pat McCrory (R) signed into waw de Pubwic Faciwities Privacy & Security Act (commonwy known as House Biww 2). The waw states dat in government buiwdings, individuaws (such as students at state-operated schoows) may onwy use restrooms and changing faciwities dat correspond to de sex identified on deir birf certificates. Transgender persons born in Norf Carowina can obtain modified birf certificates on which deir sex is different dan what was originawwy identified at de time of deir birf, but onwy if dey have undergone sex reassignment surgery.[45] For dose born in oder pwaces, de abiwity to change de sex wisted on a birf certificate is governed by deir pwace of birf (which may have substantiawwy different reqwirements, and in some cases may not awwow such changes).[45]

On March 30, 2017, de wegiswature partiawwy repeawed House Biww 2, removing de restrictions on restroom use by transgender individuaws. The compromise agreement was criticized by bof LGBT rights groups and conservatives.[48]

In Apriw 2016, Sen, uh-hah-hah-hah. Lee Bright brought a biww (S. 1203) to de Souf Carowina Senate, dat was essentiawwy de same as Norf Carowina's HB2. [49] The biww wouwd bwock wocaw governments from passing anti-discriminatory ordinances such as: de use of pubwic badrooms by gay, wesbian, bisexuaw, and transgender individuaws.[49] Senator Bright's biww wouwd maintain dat pubwic badrooms be used in accordance to "biowogicaw sex." [49] An onwine poww taken from a news site stated dat 75% of voters did not dink de biww was necessary.[49] The wegiswation faiwed to meet de crossover deadwine for biwws to pass from one wegiswative chamber to de oder. [50]

In December 2016, a simiwar biww was introduced by Rep. Steven Wayne Long in de Souf Carowina house. (H. 3012)[51]

On February 16, 2016, de Souf Dakota Senate voted 20-15 to approve a badroom biww dat, had it passed, wouwd have been de first in de country to reqwire pubwic schoowchiwdren to use faciwities dat match de sex dey were assigned at birf.[52] On March 1, 2016, de governor of Souf Dakota, Dennis Daugaard, vetoed de biww.[53] Earwy in de 2017 wegiswative session Repubwican Sen, uh-hah-hah-hah. Lance Russeww refiwed de badroom biww but on January 30 he widdrew de biww because of GOP Gov. Dennis Daugaard again promised a veto.[54]

On Apriw 6, 2016, de Tennessee House Education Administration and Pwanning Committee, which is part of de Tennessee House of Representatives, approved a badroom biww dat wouwd appwy to pubwic schoows and cowweges in de state and wouwd reqwire students to use a restroom dat corresponds wif deir sex as identified at birf.[1][55] Before de biww couwd proceed furder, de house sponsor of de biww decided to deway its consideration for a year to awwow for furder investigation, citing concerns dat it couwd interfere wif Titwe IX funding.[55] In 2017, de biww was re-introduced, but died in de Senate Education Committee.[56]

Severaw biwws were fiwed in bof de reguwar wegiswative session and first speciaw session of de Texas Legiswature in 2017. Championed by Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, de Texas Senate passed SB6 in de reguwar session and SB3 in de Speciaw Session by a vote of 21-10 wargewy awong party wines (Senator Lucio was de onwy Democrat to vote in favor of each biww). SB6 wimited badroom access based on de sex wisted on one's birf certificate whiwe SB3 wouwd awwow an individuaw to use de restroom wisted on severaw state ID's as weww (ex. driver's wicense, conceawed carry wicense).[57][58]

Awdough SB6 received a hearing in de State Affairs committee in de Texas House, neider SB6 or SB3 made it to de House fwoor, so a vote never took pwace in eider biww's case. The speaker of de Texas House, Joe Straus, voiced his opposition to de biwws citing de economic impact dat Norf Carowina saw whiwe HB2 was waw. Furdermore, he was awso qwoted by a New Yorker articwe saying, "I'm disgusted by aww dis. Teww de wieutenant governor I don't want de suicide of a singwe Texan on my hands."[59]

In 2016, Dew. Mark Cowe sponsored House Biww 663, a badroom biww restricting pubwic restroom use according to a person's "anatomicaw sex", defined as "de physicaw condition of being mawe or femawe, which is determined by a person's anatomy", wif viowators wiabwe for a civiw penawty not to exceed $50. HB663 was introduced on January 11, 2016 and died in committee in February 2016.[60] It was widewy reported dat HB663 wouwd reqwire aduwts to inspect de genitaws of chiwdren before dey were awwowed to enter de appropriate faciwities, but dis was dismissed by Snopes as a misweading interpretation of de biww's text,[61] which states dat administrators "shaww devewop and impwement powicies dat reqwire every restroom ... dat is designated for use by a specific gender to sowewy be used by individuaws whose anatomicaw sex matches such gender designation, uh-hah-hah-hah."[60] Cowe sponsored House Biww 781 one day water on January 12, 2016, which used de same wording but substituted "biowogicaw sex" for "anatomicaw sex". The use of "biowogicaw sex" awwowed for an update via amended birf certificate. HB781 awso died in committee in February.[62]

In earwy 2017, HB1612, proposed by Repubwican Bob Marshaww wouwd bar users to use de restroom, changing faciwity or private area of deir non born sex in government buiwdings.[63] In HB1612, it awso stated dat individuaws dat did not use de badroom of deir born sex wouwd be subject to civiw action, uh-hah-hah-hah. Additionawwy, HB1612 reqwired schoow principaws to inform de parents of a chiwd if de chiwd did not wish to identify as deir born sex. The biww was kiwwed in subcommittee on January 19, 2017.[64]

In earwy 2015, SB 6548, which wouwd prevent transgender individuaws from using de badroom associated wif de gender wif which dey identify was introduced in de senate but faiwed to pass.[65] In December 2015, Washington State's Human Rights Commission enacted a ruwe dat awwowed transgender individuaws to use badrooms conforming wif deir gender identities. Earwy in 2016, a biww to overturn de ruwing (SB 6443) was voted on in de state Senate, and defeated by a margin of 25-24.[66] An attempt to put a state voter initiative on de November 2016 bawwot, I-1515, faiwed to reach de number of signatures necessary to appear on de bawwot.[67] On December 5, 2016, a new biww, HB 1011 was pre-fiwed in de Washington State House. This biww wouwd prevent transgender individuaws from using a badroom of deir gender identity unwess dey have had sex-reassignment surgery, and wouwd prevent wocaw municipawities from enacting ordinances contradicting de directive.[68]

Critics of badroom biwws have argued dat dey pwace transgender peopwe in danger widout making cisgender peopwe any safer and dat dey even make dings more dangerous for gender non-conforming cisgender peopwe.[2][3] The UCLA's Wiwwiams Institute has tracked prevawence of crimes in badrooms since de passage of various protections for de transgender popuwation and has found dat dere has been no significant change in de number of crimes.[22] Marcie Bianco, writing for Mic, pointed out dat dere is not a singwe documented case of a transgender person attacking a cisgender person in a pubwic restroom.[2] Writing for Padeos, Terry Firma argued dat dere have been more Repubwican powiticians arrested for sex acts in badrooms dan transgender peopwe.[4] The controversy has been wabewed a moraw panic,[7] and Dan Savage went so far as to caww it an "anti-trans bwood wibew".[8]

According to de wargest U.S. survey of transgender peopwe ever undertaken, carried out by de Nationaw Center for Transgender Eqwawity (NCTE) in 2015 wif 27,715 respondents, one percent of respondents reported being sexuawwy assauwted in a pubwic restroom for being transgender. Twewve percent reported being verbawwy harassed in a pubwic restroom, and anoder one percent reported being non-sexuawwy physicawwy assauwted for being transgender. Nine percent reported being denied de right to use a pubwic restroom consistent wif deir gender.[6] The NCTE acknowwedges dat in its report dat dis survey was undertaken before any badroom biwws had been passed or were in de news.[6]